Means of Support

by Ann Somerville

Five years ago, Evan lost almost everything. Now he rents his house out to a bunch of vulnerable, wonderful kids, and, with the help of his best mate, Cam, he tries to find a meaning to his life through helping them. The arrival of the latest naive young refugee from a homophobic family could be a disruption or a blessing. Is he finally ready to move on from his grief?

Genres: M M Romance, Contemporary, Romance, Family

ebook

First published February 19, 2011

About the author

Ann Somerville grew up in one of Australia’s prettiest small cities. In 1989, she left Australia with a BA and a burning ambition to see more of the world and its people, and to discover this ‘culture’ thing people kept telling her about. In 2006, she returned home to Southeast Queensland with two more degrees (this time in science and IT), an English husband and a staggering case of homesickness, vowing never to leave Australia again.

Her long, plot-driven fiction featuring gay and bisexual characters has been published by Samhain Publishing and elsewhere.

Reviews

[Lady*M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read this story a long time ago on the author's site and then forgot about it. I am not sorry I bought it though. This is one of the rare Somerville's contemporary stories and I enjoyed everything about it - the Australian feel (admittedly, since English isn't my first language, I had to look for the meaning of some words ^^), the writing, wonderful characters...

The kids broke my heart and I was glad that, even in their fictional lives, they had someone like Evan and Cam. Various losses and sadness permeate the pages, but so does the hope.

The romantic in me wanted more for Evan and Cam, more then just a whiff of romance, but that didn't make me like the story any less. If Somerville ever decides to revisit them as well as Paul, Lisa, Natasha and the rest of them, I will be the first in line. Highly recommended.

[Kira · Rating 3 out of 5]

I generally like Ann Somerville's style of writing a lot. She has written a couple of my favorite M/M-books, actually.

So when I read this one, I suppose I was expecting a bit more, maybe... The writing is good, the story is wonderful and all the characters are great.

It was the abrupt ending that threw me, I suppose. When we got to the part where FINALLY Evan gets something for himself...THE END.

I HATED that. I wanted to see other than a tentative "well I like you back let's not fuck this up". Sure, it was a story about the house and the teens, but after seeing the cover that suggests so much more and waiting for the whole book for Evan to get some sort of relationship with someone...just...no.

Then again, I think I should know by now that Somerville's books have sometimes endings I dislike, one reason or another (I still can't get over Alien Cat Toy's ending...ugh. Just WRONG. lol).

As a writer I have to say I do like everything I've read of hers and I appreciate her obvious talent. As a reader I'm occasionally pissed off but most of the time in love. :)

[Dumbledore11214 · Rating 5 out of 5]

After I had finished this book by Ann Sommerville and by now having read almost all she wrote I had been thinking how easy it would have been to turn some of her books into public service announcement and how happy I am that she writes fiction first and foremost. If someone wants to take something from her books and do some good, great, if not, you can still enjoy a very well written tale. I mean, she always has some sort of social commentary in her books, in some books it is more visible in others more subtle, but she never preaches. In this book we see how much good one person can do even if all that he is trying to do is to give several hurt kids "a life without fear". Ethan is such a sympathetic protagonist, who had lost so much and is determined to make sure others who had been hurt had a safe place to stay and live despite what the world threw at them only because of who they are. Believe me, Ethan is not a saint, but he just feels so real and so do the kids whom he is trying to at least temporarily protect and shelter to give them chance to regroup and to go back to the world and be a little happier.

I am always delighted when in addition to cool protagonists writer can do secondary characters who are just as memorable and Lisa, Paul, Natasha they are all memorable, every single one of them.

I wished Cam would have been a little more fleshed out though, but otherwise it was a great book.

[Tamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this collection of characters. Evan and Cam work so hard to try to help these kids, making a family for them, as well as a safe haven.

It was great to read the support everyone had, as well as the squabbles and the every day things that happen in a family. Okay, so these were not so everyday, but still, everyone was there for support, for Lisa in her illness and for Cam with his sadness over his daughters move to another city.

I'm glad that Evan was smart enough to turn down Paul. And that Cam finally spoke up. Great HEA.

Recommended.

[Nightcolors · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars.

[Karin Wollina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Beautiful Story about unconditional love between Young People who don't exactly fit into the generally expected mould. It is really a Love Story in the purest kind. I really very much enjoyed it.

[kasjo_peja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some more tags: silver foxes, family, hurt-comfort and disability. Very heart warming read.